What is leadership?

1.

WHAT IS
LEADERSHIP?
Great leaders are defined as someone with a clear vision of
how goals are to be achieved to benefit their people and
company. They’re always available when the team needs
them, and they are a great inspiration to garner the team
forward.
Poor leadership has major negative implications for the
organization. It can result in poor productivity,
increased employee stress, and negative attitudes in the
workplace.
On the other hand, adopting the right leadership style will
positively impact a company in many ways. It'll reduce
turnover, empower employees to be more productive, and
strengthen company morale.
No matter what style you choose, a good leader must
inspire and support their team and drive their organization
forward.
Let’s explore the different management styles that leaders
can adopt and look at how each one can help or hinder
your employees’ and company’s success.

2.

AUTOCRATIC MANAGEMENT
STYLE
An autocratic leadership style resembles the traditional military
command-and-control approach. It’s top-down management.
Autocratic leaders rely on strict rules, policies, and procedures to
govern the workplace. They make all the decisions with little input
from team members.
An extreme example would be Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader of
the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, also known as North
Korea. You have to follow his instructions to the letter and will be
severely punished if you fail to meet his expectations.
Advantages
Crucial decisions can be made on the spot when dealing with a
crisis
Efficient when working with an inexperienced or new team
Improves productivity as people need to follow a proven set of
systems and procedures
Disadvantages
Inhibits team creativity as input isn’t needed or wanted
Team members develop a system of dependency instead of
deciding things on their own
Team member morale is low as their work is routine and
uninteresting

3.

VISIONARY MANAGEMENT
STYLE
Visionary leaders are driven and inspired by what a company can become. They
bring cohesiveness to inspire all team members to be on the same
page. They’re often charismatic and are well-suited to lead a company into new
industries, markets, or categories.
They succeed at helping the company move in a new direction or creating an
innovative environment for people to flourish in. Their tagline is, “come with
me."
A good example of the visionary management style would be Elon Musk, CEO of
SpaceX and Tesla Motors. He’s revolutionized entire industries with his focus on
challenging the status quo.
Advantages
Encourages team members to think creatively, producing ideas that others
haven’t seen before
Creates a forward-looking and future-focused mindset
Builds trust and commitment to foster innovative thinking
Inspires people who want to move forward
Disadvantages
Vision is linked to the leader rather than the company itself
Heavy focus on the long-term vision may sometimes impact short-term
goals
Fixation on the leader’s vision may cause the team to lose sight of creative
and innovative ideas from others

4.

CONSULTATIVE MANAGEMENT
STYLE
Consultative leaders assume their team has the capability and knowledge
needed to excel at their jobs.
While the leader has the authority to make the final decision, they prefer
to listen to every team member’s viewpoint before acting. They ask
employees for thoughts, views, and opinions, allowing them to feel
involved.
A real-life example of the consultative management style is Ray
Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates. Ray Dalio values independent
thinking. He encourages every employee, no matter how junior, to put
forward new ideas and suggestions.
Advantages
Increases employee engagement as team members are often
consulted and feel respected
Improves quality of decisions as it considers input from many team
members
Different creative ideas may be generated during the decisionmaking process as people feel safe to voice their opinions
Disadvantages
Time-consuming as it involves many rounds of meetings. This style is
less effective for urgent tasks
Manages conflicting opinions, which results in some people being
unhappy with final decisions
Slow in decision-making as it is sometimes difficult to arrive at a
consensus

5.

PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT
STYLE
Participative leaders normally involve their entire team. They encourage their
employees to take part in decision-making and involve them in formulating
plans and policies.
This is sometimes called a democratic management style, as it decentralizes
authority.
When conducting meetings, the leader takes a hands-off approach. They act
more like facilitators, letting employees open up and do the talking. They work
alongside team members, focusing on building relationships and rapport.
Richard Branson, CEO of the Virgin Group, perfectly embodies this democratic
leadership style. He has a collaborative management approach that empowers
his employees to reach the goals of the organization.
Advantages
Improves motivation and morale
Performance improves due to greater ownership for all team members
Better employee engagement with reduced grievances and employee
turnover
Disadvantages
Can be indecisive, taking too long to reach a decision
Social pressure to conform with groupthink
Can result in inefficiency and low productivity

6.

PACESETTING MANAGEMENT
STYLE
The pacesetting leader sets high or hard-to-reach standards to drive their
team to achieve new goals. This leader sets the bar high for themselves as
well as their peers.
They’ll provide instructions and set the pace, expecting employees to
follow in their footsteps. They don't trust others to do their job, and they’ll
take over when things don't move as quickly.
A good example of a pacesetter is Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister
of Singapore. His leadership turned Singapore from an underdeveloped
country into one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
Advantages
Things get done more efficiently
Stretched business goals can be achieved in the short term
Issues will be resolved quickly without wasting time
Disadvantages
Can hurt a business in the long run as employees experience
burnout and cannot keep pace
Leaves less room for creativity and innovation as employees work
under tight deadlines
Threatening an employee with removal for underperforming can result
in a lack of trust and poor engagement

7.

COACHING LEADERSHIP
STYLE
Coaching leadership focuses on helping employees become better individuals.
The coaching management style helps employees
develop both personally and professionally in the long term.
A coaching leader supports and challenges team members. Their intent is to
help them achieve their developmental goals. They encourage people to try
something new on their own.
Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, is a great example of a coaching leader. He
solicited thoughts from employees he spoke to and listened empathetically to
what they had to say. He asked non-directive questions and played a supporting
role in helping his people grow.
Advantages
Creates a positive work environment where people are highly motivated
and eager to learn
Helps the team increase awareness and leverage their strengths while
overcoming shortcomings
Employees know exactly what’s expected of them, and they understand the
strategy of the company
Disadvantages
Requires time and patience for employee development
Team members receiving coaching must be motivated to develop
and willing to receive feedback
Coaching alone won’t solve universal, systemic problems or create quick
fixes

8.

THE END. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION